Peter Erlinder Jailed for Helping Rwandan Opposition

KIGALI, RWANDA – As President Paul Kagame’s regime faces elections,
as well as the International Criminal Tribunal proceedings about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, his administration has jailed opposition leaders and used other repressive tactics.
Things are heating up in Rwanda, and they’re starting to in St. Paul as well, where concerned Americans are pushing back.
St. Paul’s Peter Erlinder, law professor at William Mitchell Law School, long time human rights lawyer and Lead Defense Counsel for the International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda,
was arrested by Rwandan Authorities the morning of Friday, May 28.

Background

Erlinder had traveled to Rwanda's capital, Kigali, on May 23 to join the defense team of Rwandan presidential candidate Madame Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza. Umuhoza was jailed in April, and released on bail one day later. According to Erlinder, her lawyer, “Ingabire was arrested on trumped-up, political thought-crimes, including: association with a terrorist group, propagating the genocide ideology, genocide denial, revisionism and divisionism, all arising from the “crime” of publicly objecting to the Kagame military dictatorship, and Kagame’s version of the Rwandan history.“
Erlinder is being held in a Rwandan prison and was recently denied bail. He is reportedly being interrogated at the Rwandan Police Force's Kacyiru headquarters.
In the run-up to the national election, the administration of President Kagame has engaged in increasing repressive tactics including shutting down independent media and jailing opposition candidates and their supporters under a vague charge of "genocide ideology" ¬the same charge Professor Erlinder is now accused of.
The Genocide Ideology Law is vaguely worded, requires no link to any genocidal act, and can be used to criminalize a wide range of legitimate forms of expression. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and even the U.S. State Department have denounced it as a tool of political repression. The Kagame administration has used it widely to target political opponents.
The Obama administration has done little to address Professor Erlinder's situation. This is because the US backs the Kagame regime.
According to The Guardian, Erlinder’s arrest prompted other defense lawyers at the UN tribunal to refuse to participate in proceedings.

In a joint statement to the court and the UN security council, seen by the Guardian, more than 30 defense lawyers said they fear for their own safety, demanding Erlinder's release.
"We hereby resolve to postpone all activities, other than those which strictly conserve the interests of our mandates, until such time as the minimum conditions or the normal exercise of our missions have been restored by the removal of threats," the statement says. "[We are] aware of the dangers which immediately and directly threaten most of our number."

The People Push Back

Sarah Erlinder, Arizona attorney and NLG member said, "My father has made a career defending unpopular people and unpopular speech -- and is now being held because of his representation of unpopular clients and analysis of an historical narrative that the Kagame regime considers inconvenient. We can help defend his rights now by drawing U.S. government and media attention to his situation and holding the Rwandan government accountable for his well-being."
On the evening of Tuesday, June 8, Minneapolis groups rallied in support of Peter Erlinder, at the Federal Building behind Minneapolis City Hall. Communities United Against Police Brutality and Women Against Military Madness brought their message to the people downtown and the government workers as they were leaving work for the day. St. Paul supports are now planning a benefit event for Peter Elinder. They’ll meet on Sunday, June 13 at 1:00pm, in Room 105 at Hamline University School of Law, 1536 Hewitt Avenue, Saint Paul.

Though local universities don’t want to touch the issue, several organizations want to hold an event to raise awareness of Peter’s arrest, the role of defense attorneys, or a benefit to raise money for his defense. Representative Betty McCollum responded to pressure and introduced a bill in the House calling for the Government of Rwanda to release Peter Erlinder. Representative Keith Ellison has agreed to co-sponsor the bill. According, to Minnesota Public Radio, McCollum said the Rwandan embassy in Washington D.C. hasn't responded to repeated inquiries from her office. She said that pattern could eventually jeopardize the partnership between the two countries.
Only two representatives have commented on voting for House Resolution 1426.
Minnesotans continue calling their Congressmen and Secratary of State Hilary Clinton. This is not a local issue but a State Department issue. When an aide answered the phone this week, they said, "Minnesota? You must be calling about Peter Erlinder!"

Call and demand the immediate release of Professor Peter Erlinder:

Senator Al Franken
(202) 224-5641
Or send an email at franken.senate.gov/contact/


Senator Amy Klobuchar
202-224-3244
Or send an email at klobuchar.senate.gov/emailamy.cfm

Representative Keith Ellison
202-225-4755
Or send an email at forms.house.gov/ellison/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

Representative Betty McCullom
(202) 225-6631
Or send an email at
forms.house.gov/mccollum/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

Write to: publicaffairs@panet.us.state.gov

---Many thanks for the contributions of National Lawyers’ Guild Minnesota, Women Against Military Madness, The International Humanitarian Law Institute & Communities United Against Police Brutality to this article & cause. ---